Exploring Science and Religion with Richard Dawkins

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About This Episode

Are science and religion compatible? That’s the question Neil deGrasse Tyson explores with evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and in-studio guest Rev. James Martin, SJ. Join us as we look at both sides of the issue, from whether rational thought is an evolutionary benefit, to the astronomical contributions of Jesuit scientists at the Vatican Observatory, to the question of contemporary scientists believing in a supernatural power. Martin, a firm believer in evolution, asks why scientists who are content with unsolved mysteries like what came before The Big Bang, or those that exist in quantum physics, are any different than people of faith who are content with an incomplete understanding of God or the universe? Dawkins discusses how a scientist’s appetite for wonder and understanding leads science forward, and explains why pre-Darwinian scientists like Isaac Newton saw a designer’s hand in creation. And of course, no discussion of this subject would be complete without addressing Einstein’s repeated use of the word god and Galileo’s persecution by the Catholic Church and their eventual, albeit ridiculously late, pardon. Plus, Bill Nye rants about rocks and evolution and co-host Eugene Mirman explains why Pope Francis is the first “Fun Pope.”